Comparison of sugar beet crop cover estimates from radar and optical data

This paper reports I comparison of the capabilities of radar and optical satellite sensor data to estimate crop canopy cover, which is a key component of productivity estimates for sugar beet crops. A version of the ater-cloud model that had previously been calibrated for this crop. was inverted to calculate Leaf Area Index (LAI) and crop cover (f) from ERS Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. SPOT data were used to calculate the Optimized Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (OSAVI), from which crop canopy cover was estimated using a relationship determined previously by canopy modelling. Direct comparison of crop cover estimates from the two data sources indicates that their interrelationship is consistent between dates and seasons.